Washington went all-out for John McCain's funeral — see how the ceremony unfolded

The casket is led out following the funeral service for U.S. Sen. John McCain at the National Cathedral on September 1, 2018 in Washington, DC. The late senator died August 25 at the age of 81 after a long battle with brain cancer. McCain will be buried at his final resting place at the U.S. Naval Academy.Mark Wilson/Getty Images

One week after the late Sen. John McCain died from brain cancer, more than 2,000 prominent business, media, military, and political figures gathered at the Washington National Cathedral for a memorial ceremony.

McCain's casket arrived in Washington, DC Thursday evening after a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Arizona statehouse to receive the honor of laying in state in the Capitol Rotunda. McCain's casket was carried by joint service members to a motorcade, which stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on its way to the cathedral.

After five days of formal tributes and ceremonies, Saturday's service was a chance for politicians and citizens alike to celebrate the six-term senator with eulogies and hymns in the heart of the Nation's Capital.

Here's how the service unfolded:

1/

The late Sen. John McCain was the 31st person to lie-in-state in the Capitol Rotunda Friday ahead of his memorial service.

Navy sailors were just a few of the onlookers who lined the closed roads in downtown Washington, DC, as the car carrying McCain's casket and its police escort left the Capitol.

The procession stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where McCain's wife Cindy laid a wreath, alongside President Donald Trump's chief of staff, John Kelly, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war for more than five years.

The service was carefully planned by McCain's family, and included a US Navy band to play McCain's favorite hymns, including "God Bless America" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

There were 2,500 guests invited to the memorial service, a diverse crowd of high-profile names from several industries including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, comedian Jay Leno, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former vice presidents Dick Cheney and Al Gore were in the front row of the crowd.

McCain notably invited Obama and Bush, his two rivals in the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections, to speak at the service.

Former President George W. Bush, center, leans in to talk to former Vice President Dick Cheney, as he walks out with from left, former first lady Laura Bush, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, after attending McCain's memorial service on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018.AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

12/

McCain's daughter Meghan teared up as she delivered the first remarks at the service, which she said marked "the passing of American greatness."

During his eulogy, Bush celebrated McCain's courage and how he "detested the abuse of power" and "swaggering despots." "John's voice will always come as a whisper over our shoulder — we are better than this, America is better than this," Bush said.

In Obama's eulogy, he urged Americans to follow McCain's example and ignore "mean and petty" politics he said were "born out of fear."

President Donald Trump was notably absent from the ceremony, after he was reportedly not invited at McCain's request.

Cindy, James, Meghan McCain, and Bridget McCain look on as the late Sen. McCain's casket is loaded into a Hearse following his funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral.Drew Angerer/Getty Images